least one definite move toward attaining
your major purpose understanding
infinite intelligence it is impossible
to have active applied faith without a
positive definite belief in a Supreme
Being there are many approaches to
gaining such a belief
observation experimentation dealing
prayer meditation and thought all are
legitimate paths you learn things by
seeing their effects or by accepting the
statements of people you trust in your
search for knowledge about infinite
intelligence you may search within the
external universe or within yourself the
external world thinking people have
always seen evidence of infinite
intelligence in the external world every
process of nature is orderly the Sun
does not rise in the east today and the
west tomorrow natural law and yours and
obtains everywhere such order such
continuing adherence to law clearly
implies intelligent planning and
definiteness of purpose ample evidence
of input and intelligence as Tennyson
wrote the Sun the Moon the Stars the
seas the hills and the plains are not
these also the vision of him who reigns
look at the wristwatch on your arm you
know that your watch did not come into
existence without the aid of organized
intelligence and you know that in this
case the particular intelligence was a
human one who know equally well that
this human intelligence did not
originate in that single mind but that
it was merely an instrument expressing
the force of the natural order of the
universe you could take that watch apart
put the pieces in a hat and shake them
about never in a million years would
they or could they
reassemble themselves into the smoothly
functioning machine called a watch that
process requires deliberate organized
intelligence with a definite plan like a
watch the universe simply could not
exist as it does without being the
product of an infinite intelligence the
internal world you have many senses
which allow you to evaluate the external
world touch sight hearing taste smell
but you also have senses put you in
touch with another reality the beauty of
a mastermind alliance is that it puts
you in touch with the creative powers of
others
connecting mind to mind opening the
subconscious of each member to the power
of infinite intelligence your conscience
is a tool which puts you in touch with
these forces similarly when you engage
in prayer you explore this internal
world the power of these experiences
have shaped human history again and
again still small voice that whispered
to saul of tarsus changed the shape and
direction of christianity the spiritual
convictions that drove Mahatma Gandhi
affected not only India but the approach
to social and political changes across
the globe this ability of the human mind
to discover embrace and disseminate
fundamental ideas and concepts his
further proof of our ability to enter
into a definite positive relationship
with infinite intelligence you can enter
this relationship and adapt it to your
purposes in life this is accomplished by
applied faith overcoming disbelief
remember faith is a state of mind which
develops by conditioning your mind to
receive infinite intelligence applied
faith is the adaptation of the power of
infinite intelligence to your definite
major purpose applied faith is the
Dynamo of the science of personal
achievement the source of the energy to
put your thoughts into action in faith
you temporarily relax your own
and willpower and open your mind
completely to the inflow of infinite
intelligence the chapter on definiteness
of purpose teaches that your mind is the
only thing over which you have the right
to complete control you must control
your mind so that it is regularly open
to the power of infinite intelligence
whatever your mind can conceive and
believe it can achieve therefore do not
allow self-imposed limitations and
restrictions to block the flow of
infinite intelligence as sunlight
passing through a prison it’s broken up
into its component rays so infinite
intelligence passing through your mind
is broken up into a variety of forms the
belief that you cannot succeed that you
are not worthy that others stand in your
way that some things cannot be done each
of these will act as an imperfection in
the prism of your mind distorting and
scattering the power of infinite
intelligence and if you close the window
of your mind to the power of input and
intelligence through disbelief you will
never experience its benefits you cannot
simply announce to yourself that you
have faith and expect instant results
faith is a state of mind which must be
cultivated set aside at least an hour a
day to contemplate your relationship to
infinite intelligence look for the ways
in which it is manifested in your life
and for places where its power can be
applied clear your mind of all negative
thoughts of wonk poverty fear ill health
and disharmony and then take these three
easy steps to build your faith 1 express
a definite desire for the achievement of
a purpose and relate it to one or more
of the basic human motives who create a
definite and specific plan for attaining
that desire 3 start acting on that plan
putting every conscious effort behind it
the more you act on faith and infinite
intelligence the more your mind were
open to its power
and the more you see that power working
in your life the easier it will be for
you to act on faith the process is a
wonderful cycle when you face a problem
or question you can put this fledgling
faith into action your subconscious has
already been conditioned by your acting
on faith to believe that you will
succeed
relax your reason so that it does not
interfere with listening to the ideas
hunches and intuitions that your
subconscious conceives on the basis of
this faith in your success look among
these suggestions from your subconscious
for the solution to your problem you
will recognize this solution by the
soundness of the plan that occurs to you
and by the feeling of enthusiasm which
accompanies its recognition as soon as
you do recognize the plan act on it at
once do not hesitate to argue challenge
worry or fret about it act on it if your
plan does not work out exactly as you
had expected repeat this procedure it
takes time to build faith to open your
mind to its application but remember you
cannot expect infinite intelligence to
do your work
that’s what applied faith means if the
plan you conceived through faith
requires the cooperation of other people
you must work to gain it it will not
just happen your plan requires capital
it will not appear on your doorstep in a
grocery bag you must seek it out with
the best of your abilities you must put
your faith into action a final word if
you make your prayers an expression of
gratitude and Thanksgiving for the
blessings you already have instead of
requests for things you do not have you
will obtain results much faster
overcoming fear an important part of
opening your mind to faith is ridding
your mind of the fears which limit your
belief there are seven basic fears
nearly everyone suffers from at least
one some of us must conquer them all
here are the seven fears how you can
recognize their presence in your life
how you can banish them the first fear
poverty this is the most destructive of
the seven basic fears and the hardest to
master because it brings so much
suffering and misery much of the fear of
poverty comes from our bitter
experiences in dealing with others who
have proved untrustworthy and willing to
exploit us for their own benefit
if you resent poverty and are determined
to be rid of it analyze yourself fully
for signs of this fear and fasten your
mind on substitutes for the negative
habits which this fear inspires lack of
ambition do you accept whatever life
hands out without challenging it are you
mentally and physically lazy then adopt
a positive driving ambition to vanquish
the symptom of the fear of poverty
failure to make your own decisions to
others determine everything that happens
in your life do not surrender the most
precious gift of your Creator make your
own decisions and become self
determining making excuses for your
failures do you offer alibis for your
lack of achievements do you envy and
criticize the success of others except
that only you are responsible for what
happens to you a negative mental
attitude this is the greatest limitation
the fear of poverty imposes and it can
encompass all the others discard
pessimist expect that things will go
your way and act accordingly do not put
things off avoid responsibility or live
beyond your means head work to make your
life better
and it will be developing definiteness
of purpose is the first step toward
replacing a negative mental attitude
with a positive one find out what you
want and look for it all the time demand
much set a high goal believe that you
will attain it with the aid of infinite
intelligence and you will leave the fear
of poverty far behind the second fear
fear of criticism can affect you in ways
both trivial and serious it can lead you
to buy the latest fashions the fanciest
cars the most sophisticated stereo audio
systems because you fear being left
behind the times out of step with what
everyone is doing
or insidiously it can prevent you from
presenting and acting on ideas that are
revolutionary ideas that would give you
independence it robs you of your
individuality and your faith in yourself
following are the most obvious symptoms
of a fear of criticism and the steps you
can take to eliminate them heating up
with the joneses trying to maintain the
front of being the most current most
affluent person on the block and cripple
you both financially and emotionally by
what you need and put your physical and
mental resources to work elsewhere
bragging about your achievements you do
this to cover up feelings of inferiority
to imitate success rather than attaining
it’s fine of your definite major purpose
includes community recognition but if
you gain a false recognition you will be
constantly haunted by the prospect of
exposure as a fraud take pride in what
you have actually accomplished remember
that they will soon come a time when
your real achievements will stand for
themselves being easily embarrassed this
causes you to be unable to make firm
decisions to fear meeting people and to
lack self-confidence determine that
whatever you do in pursuit of an
honorable definite purpose is worthy
remember how the neighbors laughed at
Walter P Chrysler and how short and
hollow that laughter was fear of
criticism is a common fear if you let it
it will SAP your initiative and
imagination but for every step you take
away from it it will take two steps away
from you once you begin your journey it
will grow easier by the day the third
fear ill-health this fear is closely
related to
a later one the fear of death but it is
much more dependent on habits for its
growth you may very well have acquired
it simply by growing up around others
who shared it it tool can prevent you
from taking risks and it’s simple
presence can actually bring about the
very situation you so fear remember that
whatever your mind can conceive and
believe it can achieve this works just
as effectively in creating illness as in
maintaining health Norman Cousins
effectively demonstrated the power of
laughter and healing the sick himself
included you want the power of your mind
focused on maintaining your health but
certain habits demonstrate your
enslavement to the fear of ill health
you must break them the drugstore habit
the you are under the pharmacist every
time some new cure-all as advertised
have you consumed mountains of garlic
ginseng and oat bran taking care of
yourself is important but looking to
pills diverts your attention from
recognizing that your own mental
attitude toward your health is the most
important factor in your good health the
habit of self-pity through the slightest
pains and discomforts keep you in bed is
some condition your excuse for not
acting dwell on that condition surrender
to it and you are finished it is an
obstacle to be overcome and it may take
effort to overcome it but every skill
you develop in overcoming your condition
will serve you throughout your plan for
achieving success the habit of substance
abuse
it may be drink it may be drugs but it’s
there only to cover up your fear of some
mental or physical pain you must seek
off the source of that pain and address
it this process will take time but every
step of progress you make on that path
will not only bring progress in
overcoming your other fears but also
free your time money and energy for
achieving success overcoming your fear
of ill health can bring you wonderfully
concrete results in so many ways
you your family your friends and your
the fourth fear loss of love I knew a
man once who lost everything he had
money social position the love of his
family when it was discovered that for
years he had been cheating his business
partners and evading taxes his only
explanation was that he had lavished all
his ill-gotten gains upon his wife out
of fear that otherwise he would have
been unable to hold on to her affection
the bitterest irony was that since he
had so long focused all his efforts on
the single aim of satisfying her
everyone his life had come to see him
only in that light as soon as he was no
longer able to provide for her she left
him once she had truly loved him
but out of fear he had cultivated only
one aspect of the relationship and her
affections naturally withered what had
he offered her to love but his money the
fear of the loss of love is so intimate
and so easily understood that it isn’t
necessary to elaborate on its symptom
simply cultivate your relationships with
a positive mental attitude
give them your all and instead of being
a source of fear to you they will be a
bastion of strength and courage the
fifth fear old age the fear of old age
causes you to slow down and develop a
feeling of inferiority when you’re 30 40
60 or 70 you become convinced that you
have let opportunities slip by and that
your best years are behind you nothing
could be further from the truth every
moment of your life that is passed by
has taught you invaluable lessons that
you can apply today you should have a
positive appreciation for the wisdom and
understanding you have gained most of
the great achievements in human history
have come from people who have blown out
more than a
birthday candles the best way to
confront this fear is to jump on it with
both feet and laugh about it whenever
you have a birthday subtract a year from
your age instead of adding one don’t
make the mistake of trying to act like
the teenager adopting the dress and
speech you see on TV that will only make
you feel and look foolish and don’t ever
say to yourself if only I were younger I
would do something that you know you
must there was a time when every morning
as I arose I saw father times sneaking
up alongside me at first I was terrified
but one day I looked him in the eye and
shouted get out of here old man and stay
out I don’t need you get out try this
yourself whenever the idea occurs to you
that you are too old to do something and
you will find that this response is
quickly retrieved from your subconscious
ready to defend you whenever the theory
of old age threatens the sixth fear loss
of Liberty no matter where you live in
any country the fear of the loss of
freedom is present for those suffering
in police states rather than enjoying
the Liberty that Americans possess the
theater is great but many other forces
can work to limit your freedom political
ambitions of your neighbors the demands
of your daily life
and this fear can paralyze you and
distract you from your definite major
purpose the only way to fight this fear
is to take an active role in defending
the institutions that preserve your
Liberty the rights we enjoy in this
country were won through bitter years of
struggle they can be maintained only by
constant vigilance you must be aware of
the struggles that are taking place
you must take an active role in them you
must also be sure that you are doing
nothing that encroaches upon the
liberties of others if you become a
tyrant in the pursuit of your definite
major purpose seeking to dominate your
family your mastermind alliance and your
employees you will be rolling back the
cause of freedom just as certainly as
does any revolutionary
streamis you cannot be free of this fear
yourself if you are not in harmony with
the very forces of Liberty which make
your own success possible the seventh
fear death this fear is the grandfather
of all the others it is very difficult
to whip because it is so universal in
our society and because it is constantly
reinforced on a daily basis there is no
escape from death and no matter what
faith we have death is an unknown for we
have never experienced it complete
absolute answers about its nature are
impossible and it is human nature to
fear anything we do not understand the
truth is fear of death can stop you in
your tracks much sooner than the actual
event overwhelmed by the possibility of
the end of your existence you may feel
that action is futile and effort is
meaningless this ignores the fundamental
fact that every moment of your life is
valuable that the world rolls on about
you and that your own actions can have a
positive effect far beyond your own
situation even if death comes for you in
the next instant life will not stop for
those you love and those you do not even
know you have an obligation to act for
the common good I can tell you how I
have succeeded in quieting this fear I
have looked at life and death and the
nature of the world I have recognized
that only two conclusions are possible
that is either one long eternal sleep or
an experience on some plane far better
than we have here on earth either way
there is nothing to fear because it is
inevitable recognizing this allows you
to write off the fear of death you don’t
discuss it you don’t think about it you
simply realize that at one time or
another you will face it and there will
be nothing you can do about it oh you
accept this fact for only a
simple-minded person worries about
something over which he or she has no
control replacing fear with hope
the fundamental lesson in dealing with
the fear of death is learning to set it
aside it should be your goal with each
of the fears for whatever you fear it
will follow you around like a puppy your
mind attracts anything it dwells upon
most people go through life thinking
about the things they don’t want to
happen and they probably experience
every one of them wouldn’t it be a
better idea then to refuse to think
about the things you don’t want and to
feed your mind with pictures of the
things you do want there is nothing more
important than learning the art of
keeping your mind focused upon the
things conditions and circumstances you
really want this is the greatest
application of applied faith you can
make when your mind has definiteness of
purpose you are in a condition to start
having faith and when you have faith you
can call upon infinite intelligence to
apply it
faith exists only so long as it is used
you cannot develop muscles by not using
them cannot increase your capital by not
investing it persistent action backed by
definiteness of purpose will pump up
your faith demonstrating the power of
your faith the key to putting your faith
into action is to have a positive mental
attitude here are steps to build your
faith and your PMA step 1 adopt a
definite major purpose and begin to
attain it all of the instructions in the
first chapter know what you want and get
busy creating it be sure that the object
of your desire is something worthy
something you can obtain never sell
yourself short but do not set a task for
yourself which is utterly ridiculous
step to affirm the subject of your
desire through prayer morning and night
inspire your imagination to see yourself
already in possession of when you attain
one goal set a new one
do not let complacency set in Bill Gates
founded Microsoft the software company
that supplies the operating systems for
more than 70% of
the computers in the world by the time
he was 35 his company was bigger than
McDonald’s Disney and CBS did he stop
[Music]
he continued to dream of new roles for
himself in his corporation by the time
he was 37 he had embarked on a new path
to provide systems to link every machine
in an office telephone fax machines
computers all working together
seamlessly he managed to bind such
giants as AT&T and IBM to his vision and
listening them in a consortium to
develop and deliver that magnificent
system you will achieve precisely the
success you can envision for yourself
cultivate that vision every day in every
way you can step 3
associate as many as possible of the 10
basic human motives mentioned on page 18
with your definite major purpose give
yourself a compelling motive for doing
what you want to do then renew that
motive by bringing it up in your mind as
often as possible on a daily basis if
your motives include a fine home a nice
car and a good wardrobe visualize those
things around you go through the motions
of driving that car are wandering about
that house do not hesitate to use your
imagination to fuel your burning desire
step 4
write out a list of all the advantages
of your definite major purpose and call
them into your mind as often as you can
this will make you successes by the
power of self suggestion it will steady
your resolve when things do not appear
to be going well if you’re caught in an
impossible job you can keep yourself
smiling by thinking of what you’ll be
doing once you’re free
step 5 associate with people who are in
sympathy with you and your major purpose
get their encouragement they can be
colleagues friends or family one realtor
I know occasionally comes home
discouraged but she has an agreement
with her husband that covers the
circumstance the instant she lets go a
defeat a sigh he pulls out her
certificate from the million dollar Club
and a list of previous sales she’s made
whose name do you see here sold all
those
houses who sold that place down by the
lake that had been on the market for two
years who saw what a dream house it
could be isn’t this latest offering just
as good that’s all it takes and she’s
out the door or on the phone again and
her husband don’t think that he isn’t
inspired by his wife’s determination his
own work isn’t better after he’s seen
what a little encouragement can do we
all need people to give us a boost you
all benefit from doing the same for
don’t let a day pass without making at
least one definite move toward attaining
your major purpose keep up that
persistent action that realtor may not
sell a house every day but you can be
sure that she’s showing it that she’s
talking it up that she’s reviewing her
list of clients that she’s walking
through it by herself imagining what a
wonderful home it will make for a family
each of these steps may not be the
actual sale but they’re as much a part
of it as the actual closing
step 7 choose a pacesetter pick someone
prosperous self-reliant and successful
make up your mind not only to catch up
with that person but to pass him or her
by don’t tell anyone this is your goal
the point is not to win a public contest
but to get where you want to go step 8
surround yourself with books pictures
mottos and other suggestive devices pick
things that symbolize and reinforce
achievement and self-reliance work
constantly to add to your collection to
move things to new places where you can
see them in a different light and an
association with different things my
realtor friend kept a framed copy of her
a million-dollar Club certificate over
her desk one day she took it down to
dust and set it on top of a newspaper
when she picked it up again
she saw beneath it an article about the
new football coach who had been hired at
the University he would need a place to
live
guess who bought down how she’d been
struggling to sell as you build an
atmosphere of support for notebook handy
to jot down the things you hear and read
that inspire you when you’re on the road
or in a meeting you’re fast scratchings
can give you lasting support step 9
never run away from disagreeable
circumstances fight them with all your
resources right where you stand and
without a moment’s delay this doesn’t
mean taking a swing at the fellow who
tells you no it does mean not accepting
that refusal and bringing every faculty
you have to bear on changing that for
since mine or you may have to take a
hard look at yourself find the error you
made and resolve then and there to
correct it
sometimes adverse circumstances are
testing devices providing means by which
you may be promoted from a given task to
a greater one remember you are what you
are and where you are because of the
dominating thoughts in your mind
procrastination in dealing with these
thoughts only sentences you to further
limitation and frustration step 10
recognize that anything worth having has
a definite price tag anything worth
having is worth working for the price of
self-reliance is eternal vigilance in
applying your faith remember your best
recommendation is the one you give
yourself by rendering superior service
in the right mental attitude Thomas
Edison’s only partner Edward C Barnes
was a man of much determination but few
resources he was determined to ally
himself with the greatest mind of his
day Thomas Edison when he arrived in
Edison’s office unannounced his poor
appearance made the clerks laugh
especially when he revealed that he had
come to be mr. Edison’s partner Edison
had never had a partner but his
persistence got him an interview with
Edison and that interview got him a job
as a handyman Edison was impressed with
Barnes determination but that alone was
insufficient to convince him to take the
extraordinary step of making him a
partner instead Barnes spent years
cleaning and repairing equipment until
one day he heard Edison’s sales force
laughing over the latest invention the
dictaphone they said it would never sell
why replace the secretary with a machine
but Barnes the handyman jumped up and
cried I can sell it he got the job for a
month Barnes pounded the new york city
pavement on a handyman salary the end of
that month he had sold
machines when he returned to edison full
of ideas for selling more machines all
across the country
edison made him his partner in the
dictaphone business the only partner
edison ever had what they barn so
important to Edison the inventor had
thousands of people working for it only
Barnes was willing to display his faith
in Edison’s work and to put that faith
into action
he didn’t demand a fancy expense account
and a big salary to do it either
Barnes focused favorable attention on
himself by rendering service far beyond
a handyman’s responsibility as the only
one of Edison’s employees to render this
service he was the only one who
uncovered such tremendous benefits for
himself the Nordstrom phenomena starting
out in a simple shoe store in the 1920s
in Seattle the Nordstrom family has
built a chain of department stores
famous around the country for service
willingness to bend over backward to
please their customers a garment may be
returned any time it fails to satisfy
even years after the original purchase
sales associates will call branches all
across the country to find an item in
the size and color a customer wants one
woman even sent a Mother’s Day card on
behalf of a customer who mentioned that
she had forgotten to do so store
executives acknowledged that a policy of
such dedication to the customer leaves
them open to abuse people buy clothes to
wear once and then return them items are
special ordered and never picked up a
few folks seem to regard Nordstrom sales
associates as their personal Gophers
doesn’t matter by delivering service
that is so far and above that of any
department store in the country
Nordstrom has developed tremendous
customer loyalty in an economic climate
that saw Giants like Macy’s
Bloomingdales Marshall Field’s Sears and
JCPenney closing stores or laying off
employees Nordstrom continued a slow and
steady expansion coast to coast
never opening a new store until it was
sure it assembled a crew of employees
dedicated to its own brand of going the
extra-mile service my own journey
I accepted Andrew Carnegie’s Commission
to organize and publish the principles
of success when I was a law student at
Georgetown University
other than reimbursement for some
traveling expenses
I got no compensation from Carnegie for
my efforts by dedication to my tasks
placed reins on my life I had a family
to support and many of my relatives
ridiculed me for my goal spite of this
opposition I worked for 20 years
interviewing presidents inventors
founders of great companies and famous
philanthropist because these people were
often unaware of the principles they
employed they just did it it took a
great deal of time for me to observe
them and determine whether the forces I
suppose were operating actually were
instead of making money for myself I had
a job to do for others believe me there
were times when between the needling of
my relatives and the hardships I endured
it was not easy to maintain a positive
mental attitude and persevere sometimes
in Barren hotel rooms I almost believed
my family was right the thing that kept
me going was my conviction that one day
I would not only successfully complete
my work but also be proud of myself when
it was finished
sometimes when the flames of hope
dwindled to a flicker I had to fan them
with everything I possessed to keep them
from going out it was my faith in
infinite intelligence that tided me over
these rough spots and saw me through it
had paid a go of the extra mile for
twenty years and under all those
hardships the answer is obvious the
benefits of doing more than you were
paid for
since going the extra mile can involve
hardship it will help you to be
conscious of all the different benefits
that will bring the law of increasing
returns
the quantity and quality of the extra
service you render will come back to you
greatly multiplied consider the farmer
who plants the crop of wheat if he
harvested only one grain of wheat for
each grain he planted he’d be wasting
his time instead every successful brain
produces a stalk and a sheaf containing
many more grains of course a few don’t
sprout but whatever problems a farmer
may face getting back many times more
wheat grains than he or she planted
isn’t one of them and so it is with
everything you do in the service you
render you render service worth a
hundred dollars chances are you will get
back not only that one hundred dollars
but perhaps ten times that provided you
have done so with the right mental
attitude if you render extra service
unwillingly or resentfully you will
probably get nothing back it’s as if the
farmer had sown his wheat on the
interstate road instead of the fertile
field and if you render your service
only with a sharp eye out for your own
benefit you will get nothing except
perhaps a poke in the eye one rainy
afternoon an elderly lady walked into a
Philadelphia department store most of
the clerk’s ignored her
but once the list of this young man
asked if he could help her when she
replied that she was just waiting for
the rain to end he didn’t try to sell
her something she didn’t want and he
didn’t turn his back instead he brought
her a chair when the rain led up the
lady thanked the young man and asked for
his card a few months passed and the
owner of the store received a letter
asking that this young man be sent to
Scotland to take orders for furnishing
an entire castle the letter writer was
the elderly lady for whom the clerk had
provided a chair he also happened to be
Andrew Carnegie’s mother by the time the
young clerk at his bags packed for
Scotland he was a partner in that
department store this was the result of
the law of increasing returns all
because he had shown a little concern
and courtesy when no one else
would the law of compensation the law of
compensation ensures that everything you
do will bring you some sort of result of
the same kind benefit from this
you must always render the most service
you are capable of with the best
attitude and you must do so regardless
of your immediate compensation even if
it appears you will receive no immediate
compensation the issue here is not some
unlooked-for benefits such as might come
from offering a chair to a senior
citizen it is a matter of honesty and
earnest effort dishonest lazy people
look to get something for less than is
required or even nothing if you decide
to boost your profits by raising your
rates and providing less service it’s
going to catch up with you AT&T learned
this lesson the hard way its rates
continued to climb and it did nothing to
offer its customers and a new advantages
along came deregulation MCI and sprint
and bang customers began switching their
long distance service by the hundreds of
thousands AT&T saw its error quickly
though but its rates and began offering
innovative packages it still faces heavy
competition but it now knows quite a bit
about the law of compensation in
contrast consider mobile home builder
Jim Clayton his company Clayton Homes is
already growing rapidly when Hurricane
Andrew decimated South Florida the need
for new mobile homes was enormous and
fast Clayton could have followed the
examples of many Florida business owners
and jacked his prices skyward instead
Clayton Homes kept its prices level and
jacked its production Skyway the law of
compensation meant that the company
still made a reasonable profit on its
services it also means that thousands of
homebuyers in South Florida have reason
to remember Clayton Homes very fondly
when it comes to the next purchase
your day-to-day life may not offer such
dramatic examples but the most concrete
one is your paycheck if you are
dissatisfied with its size remember
until you begin to render more service
than you are already being paid for you
are not entitled to any more pay if you
are convinced that you are already doing
more work than you’re being paid for ask
yourself why the law of compensation
doesn’t seem to be working the sad fact
is that most people have no definite
purpose greater than getting that
paycheck no matter how hard they work
the Wheel of Fortune turns right past
them because they neither expect nor
demand more what are you doing that
shows you expect and demand more than
what you currently get gaining
favourable attention people who need
your work have things to offer you
probably are not the only person capable
of providing what they need what will
distinguish you from the crowd the
attention you generate by doing more
than you were being paid to do early one
morning Charles Schwab arrived at one of
the steel mills he managed there in the
dawn’s faint light was a clerk from the
company stenography pool but Schwab
wondered what he was doing there a man
explained that he had come in case there
were any letters or telegrams Schwab
wanted sent right away it would be hours
before the rest of the staff arrived
Schwab thanked the fellow and told him
he might need him later that day and he
did that night as Schwab headed back to
the main office
he took along his new personal assistant
the fellow who had gotten his attention
so early in the morning it wasn’t the
fact that this young man was an
extraordinary stenographer that got him
attention it was his habit of showing
his personal initiative in going the
extra mile becoming indispensable
whether you are an employee or the head
of your own company going the extra mile
makes you indispensable to others you do
for them what no one else does
there may be others with more knowledge
skill or prestige but you are the only
one who provides something absolutely
necessary they may be seven other
companies providing public relations
expertise but if you are the one who can
be called upon at 2:00 in the morning
with a can-do attitude when a disaster
strikes people remember and value that
one young man working for a movie talent
agency was the only person willing to
listen to a cantankerous star complained
about her problems hour after hour day
after day no one else took the time when
she threw a tantrum on the set one day
he at the director the producer the
heads of the studio or her agent was the
only one to persuade her to go back to
work the movie went back on schedule and
millions of dollars were saved he had
made himself indispensable by
befriending that important client
you will never command more than average
compensation until you become
indispensable to somebody or some group
make yourself so useful that it would be
extremely difficult if not impossible to
replace you people who have pulled
themselves out of the crowd and have
included the priceless ingredients of
going the extra mile and personal
initiative in their service virtually
write their own paychecks
self-improvement going the extra mile
means that you strengthen your ability
to do your job and to do it well
carrying out your task in a state of
mind focused on providing the best
service possible in the best possible
attitude reinforces your skills by
imposing systematic self-discipline to
understand the process better every time
and you impress upon your subconscious
the need for quality work
remember the adage strength and struggle
go hand in hand you should never make a
presentation design a software program
or do anything at all connected with
your definite major purpose without the
deliberate intention of doing it better
than you have ever done it before true
you may sometimes
or not meet your previous standards but
the very intention of surpassing your
previous best is a healthy habit that
will ultimately cause you to excel doing
a job just to get it done complaining
about the tasks before you and grumbling
about your pay are not ways to make
yourself excel always stay focused on
doing your best possible work
opportunity when you have made yourself
indispensable you will gain not only
security and the job you have but the
ability to select the work that you do
perhaps this will mean a promotion a job
at another company or your choice of
clients going the extra mile is a way of
writing yourself an insurance policy
against the fear of poverty against the
fear of want and against competition
from those who only go halfway consider
William Novak after years of rewarding
but not particularly lucrative work as a
writer he was hired to be the co-author
of Chrysler’s CEO Lee Iacocca’s
autobiography working with the
fascinating details of Iacocca’s life
novak wrote an utterly compelling book
that was a national bestseller for well
over a year Iacocca’s life story
probably would have made a successful
book without much effort
but novak delivered something so
readable and inspiring that the book
became a phenomenon now Novak’s name as
co-writer on any project opens every
door in the publishing world and
commands advances much higher than those
written by other people he can choose
his subjects and he can pick from among
the best by going the extra mile he made
certain that he would always have the
work he wanted favourable contrast going
the extra-mile turns a spotlight on you
and gives you the important benefit of
favorable contrast with others an
inspired window designer at Marshall
Fields once filled a display with
handsome ties in the center was a
full-length mirror businessmen who
stopped the look of the
Flay admired the ties and then saw
themselves in the mirror I contrast
their ties look dull and shabby many
were tempted to go in and pick up a
snappy new tie which looks so much
better than their own that’s the power
of contrast people are always making
comparisons and we notice the things
that are different if you render more
and better service than others you will
naturally stand out in bold contrast
wise employers are very alert to the
power of contracts they reward the
employees at highlights
some do decide to ignore that contrast
and reap the benefits of extra service
from their workers without compensating
their workers but the spotlight of
contrast is bright enough that their
competitors will sooner or later see the
person standing in it there are so few
people who step into the spotlight that
if it shines on you
others will notice soon pleasing
attitude when you do more than you are
immediately paid to do in a willing and
cheerful manner you develop a positive
pleasing attitude the cornerstone of an
attractive personality when you have an
attractive personality you can get
almost anyone to behave toward you
exactly as you wish as something
worthwhile isn’t it treat other people
precisely as you wish them to treat you
apply the golden rule if they don’t
respond at once
keep at it again and again and again if
it never works
then you need to decide whether you want
to keep working with these people it may
be the time to fire your employer
personal initiative personal initiative
means doing what needs to be done
without being told it is the most
outstanding trait of the American
personality yet sadly it is a quality
missing in many people going the extra
mile develops personal initiative
because you don’t wait for things to
happen but make them happen your mind is
always focused on doing the best job
possible you are forced to look at every
situation thoroughly no doubt something
will have to be done
that is out of the ordinary part of your
service is getting this thing
accomplished and that means putting
personal initiative to work there are
people who go through life rendering
extra service yet wind up in the
poorhouse
they are honest and dependable
adjectives four traits that give others
the chance to cheat and exploit them and
they never do a thing about it
because they lack personal initiative
it’s one thing to cast your bread upon
the waters it’s another to pretend not
to notice when it just comes back wet
and soggy you must use personal
initiative to see that your efforts are
expanded in the right areas investigate
to make sure that the people you work
for are honest and trustworthy they
aren’t about to go belly-up and be
unable to pay you and if you find
yourself deceived
find yourself someone else to work for
personal initiative is not simply for
the benefit of others self confidence
going the extra mile builds your
conviction that you are doing what is
good and right it puts you on better
terms with your conscience and it gives
you faith in yourself sometimes the
hardest person to get along with is the
one who uses your toothbrush the same
one you see in the mirror every morning
talk to that person explain your plans
and purposes seek cooperation outline
your strategy for rendering extra
service and then listen to the answer
you get if it’s doubtful you need to
spend a little more time selling yourself